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- Post Office designs first ever Inflatable Snowsuit- UK winter holidaymakers will fall an estimated 9 million* times on the slopes this season- Almost a fifth (19 per cent) admit to going on a winter sports holiday without insurance- A fracture on the slopes could cost between £8,000 - £12,000** but the new inflatable suit could spell an end to this

The Post Office has designed the first inflatable snowsuit to help raise awareness of the number of injuries on the slopes each year saving skiers millions of pounds in unnecessary medical bills.

As skiing becomes an ever more popular winter travel activity, the Post Office has partnered with Centreline*** to design an inflatable snowsuit to help those skiers more prone to a tumble on the slopes.

The most desirable safety features for the Inflatable Snowsuit were adjustable face protectors (33 per cent), avalanche alarm (28 per cent), heating and cooling systems (27 per cent) and a built in braking structure (22 per cent).

With the winter sports season fast approaching, the latest Post Office research has found that skiers and snowboarders will fall an estimated 9 million times on the slopes - equal to eleven crashes during a week long holiday. Worryingly, one in five winter sports enthusiasts will hit the slopes without the correct insurance in place.

The suit will aim to protect areas of the body that are most likely to suffer an injury on a ski trip. Just under half of winter sports fans have ended up on their back, while one in five (20 per cent) have plunged head first into the snow. A further 10 per cent have broken an arm or leg when whooshing down the slopes.

Paul Havenhand, Head of Travel at the Post Office said: “An inflatable suit may sound like something from a James Bond movie but we want to educate skiers and snowboarders about the dangers they could face on the ski runs.

“Each year thousands of winter sports fans will hit the slopes without insurance leaving them exposed to bills of up to £12,000 to cover the cost of a fracture. Although the suit could offer some protection, the priority is of course to have the right cover in place giving those whooshing along extra peace of mind.”

Neil White, Managing Director at Centreline, said: “A snowsuit needs to give skiers and snowboarders the practical protection they need. When we saw the feedback from the Post Office’s research we wanted to design a suit that answered the prayers of winter sports enthusiasts and brought the fun back into snowsports.”

Not every feature of the skiers snowsuit revolves around safety, with après ski a top priority as 18 per cent asked for an app directing them to the best bars and one in eight (13 per cent) wanted the suit to include a hot chocolate machine.

ENDS

** Figure is based on fracture requiring surgery plus an impatient admission for 4 – 5 days in Europe.

***Centreline is a UK based Product Design consultancy with offices in London and Nottingham. Centreline create innovative and contemporary products, all of which benefit from built in manufacturability.

The Post Office (Post Office Limited) has an unrivalled national network of over 11,500 branches across the UK, more than all the high street banks combined, and sits at the heart of communities in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. The Post Office has made a commitment to maintaining its network of branches at its current size and reach. It provides around 170 different products and services spanning financial services including savings, insurance, loans, mortgages and credit cards; Government services; telephony; foreign currency; travel insurance and mail services.

The Post Office serves over 17 million customers a week and a third of small businesses. Some 99.7% of the total population live within three miles of a post office and over 97% live with one mile of a post office. For many rural communities, the post office is the only retail outlet. Post Offices branches remain highly valued and trusted, and are the focal point of many communities. For more information, visit http://www.postoffice.co.uk/.

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